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Outdoor Living

Growin’ a Grillin’ Garden

The sun’s out, the temperature’s up, and it’s time to get out there and grill. Before we start, just want to be clear that this isn’t an article about whether you’re a gas or a charcoal or a wood griller. (Although we have a selection of awesome Traeger wood-fired grills at Anderson’s.) This is an article about the great goods you can grow for your grill. Seriously, wouldn’t it be amazing to fire up the grill, then pluck a ripe (fill-in-the-blank here) and cook it right there? Talk about the freshest, tastiest—and, hello—convenient food you could make for yourself!

Veggies that are fit to grill.

Here’s a list of fairly easy-to-grow veggies that don’t require a large garden.

Carrots. Plant seeds in your garden from spring through midsummer. You can start harvesting your carrots about 50 to 80 days after sowing. You’ll know when it’s time because the top of the carrots will be showing; they’ll be about half an inch across.

Squash. It wouldn’t be summer without zucchini and summer squash, would it? Plant them in warm soil, and harvest in 75 to 100 days.

Eggplant. Plant seedlings in full sun. Once an eggplant fruit’s skin is bright and shiny, harvest it, even if it’s small; that’s usually 90 to 120 days. (If its skin is dull, it’s gone to seed.)

Onions. Plant them when the ground becomes “workable,” so now is just fine. You’ll be able to see the bulb starting to form, so you pluck it when it looks mature. The foliage will also begin to yellow.

Corn. Like onions, you can plant them when you have “workable” soil. Harvest the ears when they start to lean away from the plant and the silks get brown and crispy.

Want an easy recipe for grilled corn?

So here’s a dee-licious recipe for grilled corn. Remove the husks and silk from your garden corn. Put the ears on the grill over a high heat and turn them frequently as they will get a little charred. In a small bowl, mix some mayonnaise with some chili powder and lime zest. Put some crumbled ricotta cheese on a small plate. When the corn is ready, spread the mayo mixture on the ears and roll them in the cheese. Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve with lime wedges.

Aren’t you getting hungry? Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful part of a summer supper? Get growin’ your grillin’ garden and enjoy!